Skydiving is a well loved sport, especially for the
extreme goers out there. However, it may seem that
skydiving is something new as a sport, but in reality,
it has a very rich and colourful history that can be
very interesting to know, whether you are a fan of the
sport or simply curious about it.
Milestones And More
Although most of skydiving milestones happened during
the 20th century, its history actually goes back
further more. Originally, parachuting started around
the 1100s in China, which is about a thousand years
ago. Although there were no airplanes during that
time, people would find natural formations in which
they can leap off and float safely towards the ground
below. Additionally, Da Vinci actually made a design
that shows a wooden frame parachute that has a pyramid
shape.

This is just one of the proofs that parachuting
is actually way older than most people think.
Skydiving Sport History
If you’ll be talking about the sport of skydiving,
this matter would have a much recent history in the
making. The very first person who did this daring act
was Jacques Garnerin. He didn’t jump from an airplane
though. What he did was jump off from balloons, around
late 18th century.

He also performed fanciful displays
when he did so. After he executed his jumps, he would
then make use of a parachute to have a safe landing.
When Women Came In
Women had a part in skydiving history too. However, it
was not until the 19th century that they started
having participation in the sport. One of the most
famous women in skydiving history is Kathe Paulus. She
parachuted in Germany during the end of the 19th
century and became very well known for this skill of
hers.
Airplane Generation
Ever since the airplane was invented, the skydiving
history became even more colourful than ever. Indeed,
it took a great leap of faith, literally and
metaphorically! With the evolution of the airplane,
the more did skydiving evolved and became even more
daring. Now, daredevils had the opportunity to
parachute from a fast-moving mechanical device, which
caused even more spectacular and breathtaking
skydiving routines.
The first woman to ever jump off from an airplane is
Tiny Broadwick.

She did this daring stunt back in
1913. Additionally, she is also the first woman to do
a free fall jump from an airplane, which she did in
1914.
Skydiving: It’s Official!
One interesting fact about skydiving is that it wasn’t
called skydiving before. The term skydiving was only
coined in the mid-1950’s and used for Raymond Young.
This was the first time when it was actually declared
as skydiving. Before it was termed as such,
"skydiving" was simply called as "parachuting" by
many.
From Novelty To Sport
Before, skydiving was considered to be more of a
novelty act than a sport. It was only during the
period after World War II that this art became an
actual sport that a lot of people could engage in,
just like basketball. This transition was due to the
fact that skydiving and parachuting was commonly done
as a tactical move by many countries throughout the
war.
In fact, pilots during World War I were even told to
crash their planes into enemy territory rather than
bailing out and were just given parachutes for
survival.

Ever since the 1st successful bailout in
1922 of an airplane, parachuting became a popular
method of bailing out for pilots.
After the Second World War, it became a mainstream
hobby for many. This is because the soldiers who came
back enjoyed this activity and even have the courage
to do a freefall. They held some competitions which
then became a popular sport for civilians too. It was
in 1957 that the first skydiving schools appeared and
up until now, more people are having the courage to
face this extreme sport.